Car construction



Dec. 22, 1931.

A. E. SMALL CAR CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb. 18, 1928 Inveniar: Hrflz uz'E Small Hiiorne y Fatentcd Dec. 22, 1931' PATENT OFFICE ARTHUR E. SMALL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIG-NOR T UNION METAL PRODUO'IS COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, CORPORATION OF DELAWARE CAR cous'rnuorrolv Application filed February 18,1928. Serial no. 255,449.

This invention relates to railway cars, particularly steel cars which because of their constant exposure to the elementsare subj set to severe corrosion, especially open top or gondola railway cars, which are used to haul coal or other similar commodities, and has for its object the use of relatively non-corrosive material where the maximum corros'ionoccurs and a relatively lighter and cheaper material at places less subject to corrosion.

Cast metal is not as susceptible to corrosion'as rolled steel or rolled'iron and annealed cast metal (malleable iron) is not as susceptible to corrosion as cast steel. Malleable iron is just as strong under'compression as ordinary cast metal and almost as strong as rolled steel under tension, therefore, in designing a railway car I prefer to make the load sustaining members of rolled steel and the members subject more to the action of corrosion of cast metal, preferably malleable iron, or other relatively non-corrosive material.

Steel or iron which has been rolled flat into plates and subsequently bent, stretched or otherwise deformed is more subject to corrosion than flat rolled steel or iron plates, there fore, I prefer to substitute malleable or other cast metal structures in place of bent steel plates when such bent plates are abnormally '30 subject to corrosion; for instance, corner pieces between the vertical walls and the floor ofa railway car. 7

In the drawings: Fig. 1 shows a typical application of my invention to a railway car.

Fig. 2 shows a modification of the invention.

Fig. 1 shows a typical application of my invention to a gondola car wherein'the side wall 40 comprises an upper rolled flat steel plate 2,a top side chord 3 and a side sill or bottom chord 4. The floor 5 ofthe car, which is subject to considerable corrosion, is made of malleable iron or other cast metal and has an upwardly extendingflangeo which forms a part of the side wall of the car and is secured to the upper web plate 2and the side sill by rivets? and 8 respectively. The floor plate is reinforced by webs 9. In this structure the load sustaining members, that is, the

top chord 3 and the lower chord 4 (side sill) are of rolled steel and the upper part of the side wall, that is the web plate 2, is also of rolled steel but the portion of the sidewall adjacent the floor of the car (flange 6) and the portion of the floor adjacent the side wall are both of cast metal. It is at the juncture of the vertical wall and the floor of a gondola car where the excessive corrosion occurs, therefore, I prefer to have a member '60 forming a part ofthe floorand a part of the wall of cast metal "to resist such corrosive action. The center structure comprising the center sills 10, top compression plate 11 and bottom tension plate 12 are all made of rolled '65 steel because this structure is a load sustaining member (and also a column to receive the bufiing shocks).

Fig. 2 shows another modified form wherein a rolled steel floor 15 is used which is positioned under and is protected by the horizontal flange 16 ofthe separate cast metal member 17. i a

"The separate malleable iron or other cast metal members (6, 17, etc.,) could beiY-S strengthened by some such means as rib .40 or by making them of thicker material, so as to increase the capacity of the vertical wall (side or-end) to resist the inertia shoc'k'of the low heavy shifting load. This is especially desirable in low side gondola and stock cars which are used to haul rails, heavy pipe and similar material which is difficult to block to prevent it from shifting. Therefore, such cast metallic members perform the dual functions of increasing the resistance of the car wall where corrosion is greatest and to strengthen the said car wall where greatest strength is required.

The invention may be used in either or both the side and end walls of railway cars and anytype of railway car, such as box, stock,

structural steel beam, and an intermediate.

cast metallic member secured to said upper portion and to said beam, said member hav ing a substantially horizontal flange overlapping the beam so, as to protect the beam from the lading.

3. A railway car comprising a cast metallic floor secured to the sill of the car with an upwardly projecting flange forming a part of the side wall of the car to which the upper part of the said side wall is attached.

4. In a railway car structure, a cast metal member forming part of a wall of the car having a horizontal flange overlying the sill of the car so as to form'means of attachment thereto and a protection therefor from the lading. r

5. In a railway 'car structure, a cast metal member forming part of a wall of the car having a horizontal flange overlying the side sill of the car so as to form a protection therefor from the lading.

6. In a railway car, the combination of rolled steel frame members, and a cast metal floor spanning the distance between the frame members and secured thereto.

7. In a railway car, the combination of rolled steel frame members, and a cast metal floor spanning the distance between and overlying the frame' members so as to protect them from the lading.

8. In a railway car, the combination of rolled steel frame members, and a cast metal floor spanning the distance between and overlying the frame members so as to protect them from the lading, said floor provided with integral reinforcing means merging'into the floor adjacent the frame members.

9. In a railway car, the combination of rolled steel frame members, and a cast metal floor spanning the distance between and overlying the frame members so as to protect them from the lading, said floor provided with an integral portion formin a part of a wall of the car.

10. In a railway car, the combination of rolled steel frame members, and a cast metal floor spanning the distance between and overlying the frame members so as to protect them from the lading, said floor provided with integral reinforcing means merging into the floor adjacent the frame mem bers, said floor also provided with an integral portion forming a part of a wall of the car.

11. In combination with the other elements of a railway car, a cast metal floor having an integral portion forming a part of the side wall of the car, and another integral portion forming a part of the end wall of the car integral with the floor and the first mentioned portion.

' 12. In a railway car, a cast metal floor provided with an integral portion forming a part of a wall of the car.

13. In a railway car, a cast metal floor provided with an integral portion forming a part of a wall of the car of thicker material than the floor.

' 14. In a railway car, the combination of a girder forming a wall of the car, said girder comprising a top rolled metallic chord, a bottom rolled metallic chord, a rolled metallic;

plate forming the upper part of the web of the girder, and a cast metal member forming the lower part of the web of the girder having a lateral flange overlapping said bottom chord.

15. Ina railway car. the combination of a flooring and a girder forming a wall of the car, said girder comprising a top rolled metallic chord, a bottom rolled metallic chord,

a rolled metallic plate forming the upper part of the web of the girder, and a cast metal v member forming the lower part of the web of the girder having a lateral flange overlapping said bottom chord and said flooring.

16. In a railway car, a metallic wall and a metallic floor forming load retaining means thereof, the floor and the portion of the wall adjacent the floor being of relatively noncorrosive material and the portion of the wall remote from the floor being of relatively corrosive material.

17. In a railway-car, a corner construction of relatively non-corrosive material having arms substantially normal to each other, a wall element secured to one of said arms, and another wall element secured to the other of said arms.

18. In a railway car, a corner connection of relatively non-corrosive material having arms substantially normal to each other, a wall element secured to one of said arms, and another wall element secured to the other of said arms, said wall elements positioned so that their adjacent edges are spaced apart from each other.

19. In a railway car structure, the combina- A of a Wall of said car which is composed of relatively non-corrosive material, an element forming the upper portion of said Wall Which is composed of relatively corrosive material, and a sill, said member provided with a lateral flange overlying said sill so as to protect it from the lading.

21. As an article of manufacture, a casting for car Wall structure, said casting being elongated and formed along its bottom portion to fit against and be secured to a sill, said casting having an upwardly extending Web section adapted to be secured to a sheet metal panel, and a lateral flange adapted to be secured to a flooring.

ARTHUR E. SMALL. 

